After his Presidency was over, Grant and his wife set out for a tour of the world. They were gone almost two years. Many places, including England, had no idea what the protocol of hosting a former US President would be as none had ever traveled the world before Grant. Grant was generally unassuming and did not want a big fuss made over him, which did not help matters. He wanted to leave the country so he could get away from being a public figure, but he was asked to give more speeches all over the world than he ever had in the US.